"These sharks increased the melanin content in their skin by 14 percent over 21 days, and up to 28 percent over 215 days.” Despite all the tanning they’d done, there wasn’t a trace of skin cancer on any of the test sharks. It can be as short as 3 feet and as long as 20 feet which depends on gender, age, and species. There are 10 species of hammerhead shark. Hammerheads eyes give them better vision of surrounding areas. Here are some facts about Hammerhead sharks. These sharks are further classified into two genera - genus Sphyrna (with 8 species to its credit) and genus Eusphyra (with the winghead shark as the lone species). Researchers noticed that when young scalloped hammerheads are kept in shallow outdoor pools, their skin darkened, going from a light beige to a rich chocolate brown. Also the hammer-like shape of the head may have evolved (at least in part) to enhance the animal’s vision. The hammerhead with its strangely shaped head is somewhat of a mystery although scientists have recently discovered that the odd shape improves their … These schools can have up to 100 members in them. It is used as a weapon. On average, the length of hammerhead sharks ranges from 3 to 19.7 feet; the smallest of this family weighs 6.6 pounds while the biggest ever seen weighed 1,278.7 pounds. Although the researchers didn’t find a difference in sensitivity to the electric fields between a hammerhead and a cone-nosed sandbar shark, the hammerhead was able to search a larger area, which the researchers say would “increase the probability of prey-encounter.” The researchers also noted that the hammerhead was more maneuverable than the sandbar shark. This reduces drag while also increasing the animal’s “wingspan.” Both factors enable the shark to swim more efficiently. Hammerhead sharks take advantage of their wide, flat heads to pin down stingrays and other bottom dwelling fish before delivering a fatal bite. The cephalofoil has a gentle curve in juvenile sharks but becomes straight as the shark ages. Divers have little trouble recognizing a hammerhead when they see one. They are one of rare marine animals that can get nice tan. Probably the most recognizable is the first dorsal fin; it typically acts like a sailboat keel, helping the shark stay balanced while it swims. At first, it seemed likely that the mother must have been storing sperm; females of many animal species can keep semen alive for years before using it to fertilize eggs. A feces analysis showed that the sharks were digesting half of the grass they’d been eating; enzymes designed to break down plant matter are present in the bonnethead’s digestive tract. All hammerhead sharks are viviparous – a female gives birth to live young that grow inside the female shark, similar to humans. Great hammerhead sharks have a very tall, curved first dorsal fin … Great hammerhead sharks have a notch in the center of their head, which is known as a cephalofoil. Hammerhead sharks can swim up to 25 km/h (15 mph). Hammerhead Shark Facts for Kids: Want to Interesting facts about hammerhead sharks?.. Of the 10 species of hammerhead, only three are known to be particularly dangerous to humans: the scalloped, great, and smooth hammerheads. Believe it or not, the hammerhead has the ability to sport a nice tan! Is there any fish in the world that casts a more distinctive shadow? These fish are diverse, they’re weird, and someday they might change the way we fight skin cancer. Sharks also have a pair of pectoral fins, located on either side of the body just behind the head, which most species use to steer and generate lift. Unlike humans, the mother gives birth to 20 to 50 live pups at once. In 2001, a bonnethead was born inside one of the aquariums at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo. The hammerhead shark is well known for its ability to make very sudden and sharp turns. They have disproportionately small mouths and seem to do a lot of bottom-hunting. Interesting facts about hammerhead sharks, read All 4 Diving Liveaboards blog on the most easily recognised species with their distinctive shaped heads. Once the baby sharks are born, they are not taken care of by the parents in any way. Your email address will not be published. Interesting Hammerhead shark Facts: Size of the hammerhead shark depends on the species. Make your own origami shark with a piece of paper and a few simple folds. Experts have identified 10 living shark species in the hammerhead family (although it’s possible that even more exist). A hammerhead shark uses its wide head to trap stingrays by pinning them to the seafloor. Hammerhead shark species can weigh as little as 6.6 pounds and as much as 1,300 pounds. The scalloped hammerhead isn’t the only species which creates schools: The smooth hammerhead (Sphyrna zygaena) also travels in groups. Hammerhead sharks have white bellies and olive green or grey-brownish back. Hammerhead Shark Behavior. Then, with a bite to the pectoral fin (or “wing”), the prey is immobilized. Great hammerhead sharks have a very wide head with an eye at either end. Reproduction occurs only once a year for hammerhead sharks, and usually occurs with the male shark biting the female shark violently until she agrees to mate with him. The head moves in a constant sweeping motion so that the shark can see in every direction. Hammerhead Sharks are believed to be swimming the earths oceans for 20 million years? FUN FACT The scientific genus name of most hammerhead sharks is Sphyrna, which comes from the Greek word for hammer. Though many sharks are solitary creatures, scalloped hammerheads—which can reach lengths of 10 to 12 feet and can weigh in at 300 pounds or … Many, but not necessarily mutually exclusive functions have been proposed for the hammer-like shape of the head, including sensory reception, vision, manoeuvering, and prey manipulation. They are called  hammerheads as their head has two extended lobes, and it looks like a hammer. The birth came as a complete surprise to the staff because all the bonnetheads in that tank were females—and none had seen a male of their species in three years. Their panoramic view of the undersea world is inhibited by two blind spots, one in front of the snout and the other directly behind the head. These sharks are know for their unique shape of their head which is flattened and elongated. Some scientists have theorized that the hammer-like shape of the head may have evolved to enhance the shark’s vision. In the majority of sharks, the pectoral fins are longer than the first dorsal—but for great hammerheads, the opposite is true. They live in warm coastal waters in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. In addition, these Diet: Hammerhead sharks have never been involved in a fatal incident. Hammerhead sharks have a distinctive and unusual head structure. And that has a big effect on how these animals move. Fact 1: The length of a Hammerhead shark varies greatly. Required fields are marked *. Researchers from Ireland and the United States performed genetic tests on a baby hammerhead born in an Omaha, Nebraska aquarium in 2001. Fun facts for kids help increase awareness and understanding of these one-of-a-kind carnivores. The “Hammer” Head – The uniquely shaped head that all hammerhead sharks share is called a cephalofoil. Relative to its body size, the winghead shark has the widest head of any hammerhead—almost half as wide as its body is long. The great hammerhead (Sphyrna mokarran) is the largest species of hammerhead shark. Since sharks do not have mineralized bones and rarely fossilize, their teeth alone are commonly found as fossils. A 2016 tagging study attached GoPro cameras to five great hammerheads that were living out in the wild. These partly blocked ultraviolet light, leaving the skin under the filter paler than the skin that had been exposed to the sun. The genetic tests proved that there was no “DNA of male origin” in the baby hammerhead. This color balance enables the sharks to perfectly blend with the ocean since a prey viewing from the bottom will not see it sneaking in for a meal. The average great hammerhead measures up to 3.5 m (11 ft) long and weighs over 230 kg (510 lb). But testing confirmed that Omaha's baby bonnethead had no paternal DNA; the mother had reproduced by fertilizing her own egg cells, a phenomenon known as parthenogenesis. Not only does the hammer at as an organ of balance, but its body seems to be specifically designed to twist and bend. Find the answers to all your burning questions about hammerhead sharks with simple facts about these weird-looking animals. The hammerhead sharks are a group of sharks so named for the unusual and distinctive structure of their heads, which are flattened and laterally extended into a “hammer” shape. The hammerhead family ranges from dark brown to grey on their dorsal side and have a grey or white belly, sometimes even olive in colour which performs as a sort of camouflage while hunting. The lifespan of hammerhead sharks is estimated to be 25 to 35 years. They feed on fish, smaller sharks, squid, octopus, crabs, and lobsters . The great hammerhead shark is the largest hammerhead species. The reproductive process is still quite a mystery in the scientific communities. Interesting facts about hammerhead sharks. A typical shark has eight fins on its body. Why’d they do this? Hammerhead sharks are carnivorous and eat a variety of fish, although stingrays are the preferred prey. The young sharks probably travel in schools for mutual protection, but nobody knows why full-grown scalloped hammerheads, which have few natural predators, congregate like this. The researchers found that the binocular overlap in the hammerheads' field of vision is up to three times higher than it is in lemon and blacknose sharks—both of which have cone-shaped snouts. Here are some facts about Hammerhead sharks. Hammerhead Sharks are known for their unique shape of their head, which is flattened and elongated and passes the sides of its body. Hammerheads also vary in terms of overall size: The smaller species max out at 3 to 5 feet in length, while the biggest is the great hammerhead (Sphyrna mokarran), which can be up to 18 feet long and weigh over 1000 pounds (with 10 to 13 feet and 500 pounds being closer to average). Great hammerhead sharks are viviparous (give birth to live young). They hunt down the prey using the unique head. What did the earliest hammerheads look like? Check out the Most SURPRISING Facts About HAMMERHEAD Sharks! It is a rare, little-known species of hammerhead shark. They can reach 3 to 20 feet in length and up to 1000 pounds in weight. Hammerhead shark species can weigh as little as 6.6 pounds and as much as 1,300 pounds. Hammerhead shark species can be as short as 3 feet and as long as 19.7 feet. Hammerhead shark facts for kids are coming in our education group of facts for kids to learn more about the world and the whole universe. Their heads are laterally flattened and extended to form a ‘cephalofoil’ or ‘hammer’ shape which they are named after. Costa Rica Hammerhead Sharks - 7 facts you may not know about this magnificent shark found in large numbers around Costa Rica Isla del Cocos FUN FACT The scientific genus name of most hammerhead sharks is Sphyrna, which comes from the Greek word for hammer. This family belongs to the order Carcharhiniformes and has two genera: Eusphyra and Sphyrna, the first with one species and the latter with the remaining nine.All hammerhead sharks are easily recognized by the unique and striking head they have, which is the origin of their name in English (Hammerhead shark). Hammerhead sharks are carnivores. Three hammerhead species have a high risk of extinction: the great hammerhead, which is threatened by the shark fin trade and bycatch (unwanted fish captured as a byproduct of commercial fishing); the winghead (Eusphyra blochii), whose population is believed to have declined 50 percent in 42 years from overfishing and net entanglement; and the scalloped hammerhead (Sphyrna lewini), which, in 2014, became the first shark to ever receive protection from the U.S. Interesting facts about hammerhead sharks. These baby sharks huddle together and swim toward warmer water until they are old enough and large enough to survive on their own. DIET AND FEEDING HABITS The great hammerhead is a fierce predator with a good sense of smell that helps it find its prey. There are 10 species of hammerhead shark. Mouth of hammerhead sharks is located on the underside of the head. Hammerhead sharks as a whole will feed on a wide variety of prey. Their heads help improve movement and hunting ability.
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